Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-08-06
THE NEW TAY BRIDGE.
Undoubtedly the Greatest Railway
Bridge in the World, .

Eeirht wears have ret yet rsssee since The
world h.,'d With horror that the great visduct
across the Tay had been blown down by a
storm on the night Of Dec. 2S, and passing
train full of holiday makers plunged in the
black waters below. Yet with such energy
has the work of reparstion been pushed for
ward that today the government ,nspectitn
cf the nsw tritge will commence; so that this
great link in the railway communications of
the north may in n few weeks be completely
restored. The old br dye was begun in Jpn.
1871, and completed on Ne S0tn of August
is77, troash not opened until the Slst Of
the following May; so that 1t STOOD for barely
eighteen months.
The vanished structure is said to have cost
f350,000 This fact-apsrt from the disastrous
loss OF life which its fall enteiled, and the
doubt a. to the possibility of constructing
stable viaduct across such on estuary-might
well have discouraged the railway compart
from pcssevering ID their project. Indeed,
there were not Wanting alarnsts who declar-
ed that to re-ereCt the visduct was simply
tempting Providence aud wasting the share.
holders money-two sins for which In north
Britain there is no room for repentance.
These prophets Of evil had, however, little
influence on the directors, for soon after Sir
thomas Bouch, the unfortunate engineer OF
the fallen bridge, had died of what was
virtually broken heart, Mr.. Barlow was busy
on new plans for new vlsduct, when were
duly approved In May, 1881, and the work
seoh after~ard begun. The Barlow bridge 10
on even more gigantic scale than its pre-
tecessor though that was, roughly speaking,
about two miles long, and consisted of ghty-
four spans, some OF them ninety feet above
high-wster mark. That the new bridge should
be more costly than the old one was, under
the circumstances, TO be expected, and in fact
the expenditure is affirmed TO be about double
The work has been virtually completed for
some time past
OF the North British Railway company paid a
visit TO Dundee for the purpose of inspecting the
viaduct, and offices, and the sidings near the
station as well as the connections AZ the north
and south ends of the bridge and the stations
at East and West Newport-all of which
form necessary parts of this complete design
with view Of determining what sltela-
tons or improvements might be necessary in
the structcrc before ii was opened TO traffic.
AT mat time the operations were being hur-
ried on with the utmost energy. The twelfth
large central span was rised to its full height
SUN dlter tnlS WISH, and Tor several weeks
past the thirteenth and last large girder has
1een In position, with the rails laid, and the
osllasting Of the permanent way complet-
ed
Tay bridge Is only one length in the line of
1orthern travel. The Forth bridge, from
North to South Queensferrv is the second and
scarcely less important than the other. The
1rst-named viaduct is notable as the largest
bridge in the world. The second viii have
he distinction of being made of steel through
,ut its total length Of $3.50 feet 1t is at
present busily In progress, though delayed by
strike of the workmen. and when completed
nay bt regarded as one Of the greatest mar
7els Of engineering enterprise which Europe
.an show. The island of Inchgarvie in the
middle Of the arm of the sea VII oh it crosses,
enables the bridge to be in four spans, only two
If which are over water. These two principal
Ipans are Loo feet and the height shove the
lea OF ecrh Of these is POO feet When this
Elaborate vet simple viaduct Is completed,
,ailwsy communication, almost in straight
Inc, will be completed from London IN
Aberdeen,